Using a Negotiations Lens to Examine the American Catholic Church's Response to the Clergy Sex‐Abuse Scandal

Abstract

The explosive clergy sex‐abuse scandal forced the Roman Catholic Church members, clergy, and church leaders to renegotiate the kind of dialogue that they will have with each other. As the full dimensions of the clergy sex‐abuse scandal in Boston came to light during 2002, the public response of Cardinal Law and other church leaders to victims, and groups of clergy and laity was often adversarial. While some of the Cardinal's actions were consistent with his stated goal of protecting children, his behavior revealed the unstated goal of protecting the institution of the church, its leadership structure, and ultimately, his own position. By contrast, Bishop Wilton Gregory's November 2002 presidential address to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops employed a more complex model of negotiation: he articulated broad goals to attract the support of his various audiences and while postponing discussion of the controversies that will attend efforts to reach those goals. Ultimately, the future of relations among church members, clergy, and church leaders will depend on how successfully these groups can negotiate church membership.